Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’”
The scheme of Balak is the same scheme that the enemy uses today. The enemy is not a creator, he is a copier. Because of this we can learn to identify how the enemy works from the examples in the Word.
The scheme of Balak is to appeal to the flesh that desires esteem and honour in the sight of others. This scheme seeks to woo the flesh. It appeals seductively to the desire for “fame”.
All of us want to do well in life. It is a normal desire to want to achieve and this in itself is not a bad thing. But it must be tempered by other, more important values and priorities. These include a love for God and for others. A desire to walk by faith in obedience to God. Humility and service. Faithfulness to the full range of our responsibilities.
Where things can go astray for us is when we are seduced by the promise of popularity, acceptance and fame and so compromise our other convictions.
The scheme of Balak says “Do what I want and people will love you, you will be thought of more highly, it will be great for you – BUT you need to do what I say”. This same temptation is found all the way back in the garden of Eden and is ever present today.
Resist this temptation by submitting to God, holding fast to your convictions and believing the truth of God’s word over the lies of the enemy.
PRAYER: Father, I choose to submit myself to you today. You are my Lord and my saviour. Lead me into all truth. I choose your way over the lies and temptation of the enemy. Thank you for your grace in Jesus name, Amen.
Related articles
